South Florida Forecast
March 24, 2023
By Capt. Alan Sherman
Capt. Alan Sherman covers Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable, including Pompano Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Homestead.
March 24 - 26
Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable
NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the south to southeast at 15 to 20 knots late Friday. Saturday winds are forecasted to be out of the south to southeast at 15 knots and on Sunday south to southeast at 5 to 10 knots.
Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef
The big winds and new moon this past week triggered a good shrimp run that started in the bays and worked its way out to the ocean on the outgoing tides. The shrimp runs triggered a nice tarpon, ladyfish, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and snook bite in and around the ocean inlets. Shrimp was the hot bait! Along the beaches and off the piers and jetties, large Spanish mackerel and bluefish were being caught on silver spoons, red and white jigs, and shrimp and strips fished under a Cajun Thunder float, and a few pompano were caught on sand fleas. The offshore topwater bite consisted of a few kingfish, Spanish mackerel, bonito, blackfin tuna, sailfish, and dolphinfish. The best baits were live pilchards, threadfin herring, cigar minnows, ballyhoo and goggle rete jacks, The fish were eating the bait while being free lined, from under a kite, and deep with the help of a lead sinker. Trolling feathers and Sea Witches tipped with a strip of bonito saw some action too. The best areas to target were areas that artificial reefs, along current rips with weeds, and just outside the outer reef line. Over the artificial reefs and rock piles, large mutton snappers, vermillion snappers, and a few yelloweye snappers were taking cut and whole squids. Big amberjacks, the first cobias of the season, and catch-and-release groupers were eating live pinfish. High tide at Government Cut Friday night will be at 11:54.
North Biscayne Bay Inshore
A few mackerel and bluefish have entered the bay. Trolling Rapala X Raps is a good way to locate these fast-moving fish. Sera trout have started their spring spawning season and can be caught with a live shrimp fished from under a Cajun Thunder float. Hit your favorite sea grass flat in three to six feet of water for the trout. A few jacks, ladyfish, and barracudas are with the trout. The nighttime snook and tarpon action was good with the nightly shrimp runs. Hit the bridge shadow lines and the lighted docks with live shrimp and artificials that resemble the shrimp. Low tide at Indian Creek Golf Club Saturday morning is at 7:29 AM.
South Biscayne Bay
Bonefishing was good this week in South Bay. Some of the best bonefishing took place along the mainland flats from Dinner Key south to Card Sound. A large live shrimp was the top bait for the bonefish. It's always a good idea to have a few live silver dollar-size blue crabs onboard just in case a permit or two shows up while you're bonefishing. There has been a decent snook bite along the points of the Oceanside islands south of Soldiers Key. The Finger Channels continue to provide decent rod-bending action for snappers and jacks. Low tide at Soldier Key on Saturday will be at 6:59 in the morning.
Flamingo
Plenty of sea trout have been biting in Florida Bay. Look for the big mullet muds to help you locate the trout. The trout are eating shrimp and crabs that the mullet have stirred up. A Cajun Thunder float and a live shrimp maker for a deadly trout slayer. The trout have also been over the grass flats near Conchie Channel, in Tin Can Channel and over the flats around First National Bank. Snook and redfish were tough in Florida Bay mostly due to the large amounts of lemon sharks in the area. Big tarpons were eating the mullets up on the flats. Tarpon fishing was good along the coast from East Cape north to Lostman’s River and into White water ay. Snook and redfish were easier to catch in Oyster and Whitewater and Oyster Bays due to less sharks patrolling these areas. High tide at Flamingo in Florida Bay on Saturday will be at 6:55 AM and at the mouth of Shark River low tide is at 11:05 AM.
Capt. Alan Sherman shermana@bellsouth.net www.getemsportfishing.com
